Radio Your Way To A Younger Face And Body

The gold standard treatment for the many aesthetic aspects of aging has for many years been surgery in its many forms. However, with increasing patient demand for cosmetic rejuvenation and with the strong desire and drive by patients to attain aesthetic enhancement with minimal risk and rapid recovery, there has been a strong surge inspiring the field of nonsurgical skin rejuvenation. Traditionally, most of the nonsurgical methods have centered around those that destroy the epidermis and cause a dermal wound, with resultant dermal collagen remodeling and secondary skin tightening and rhytid improvement. Currently, there is growing interest in a wide range of nonablative interventions that, predictably, are claimed to rejuvenate skin and subcutaneous tissue "safely and effectively." Several nonablative systems have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and been CE marked in Europe for the purpose of skin rejuvenation and lipocontouring.

Today I would love to review a particular nonablative radiofrequency device currently in use for skin rejuvenation, which utilizes Mono, Tri and Hexa polar mode of delivery to rejuvenate skin, zap fat and improve cellulite. The device is called Mabel Pro it has been CE Marked in Europe and currently awaiting FDA approval in the US.

First question that most people want to know is what is radiofrequency and how does it work?

Radio waves are basically high frequency waves on the electromagnetic spectrum (300 KHz-300GHz), which we use for TV, Radio, & Phone transmissions in our daily lives. When applied to skin or sub cutaneous tissue these high frequency waves generate a RF field by rotation of water molecules, which translates into friction and heat generation. Heat energy is absorbed in the dermis to generate collagen and elastin through fibroblast activation. Heat transmitted into hyo-dermis results in fat membrane disruption and heating up of the collagen bundles, thus reducing fat cells circumference and improving cellulite.

Radiofrequency can be used in Monopolar, Bipolar or Uni/Multi polar modes. Using Monopolar mode of application a single electrode is applied to the treated area and the opposing electrode is applied relatively far removed; in the form of a back plate, so that when the current is applied to the skin it heats up point of application and then goes deeply through the body disperses and gets removed from the second plate. The treated area is heated rather deeply (usually up to 20 mm) & we can achieve skin rejuvenation as well as fat contouring. If too much energy is delivered it can lead to serious side effects like burns and scars.

Building upon the success of monoploar mode of delivery and trying to avoid the side effects Bipolar mode was put into practice. Bipolar mode lets the energy pass between two electrodes approximated few cm apart, hence heating the superficial tissue (dermis) only. This mode is used mainly for skin tightening and collagen production.

Unipolar mode is further improvising of Monopolar mode to avoid side effects associated with it, yet retaining the efficacy. This mode sends smaller amounts of energy into the body through a single probe, as the amount of energy deposited into the skin is very small it does not need to be removed by a second remote electrode. This energy produces the desired effect near the application probe and then disperses into the body without causing any harm. More heat is absorbed at the point of application and that is where main action takes place dermis and hypodermis.

Multi-Polar (tri, hexa) mode uses multiple Unipolar heads to apply energy to the treated areas. This combination is synergistic and allows to reduce the required intensity of energy through each probe and application of multiple probes covers bigger surface area and speeds up the treatment time, thus minimizing side effects and possibly increasing effectiveness.

Mabel pro uses Mono, Tri and Hexa polar heads. Which means through its sophisticated control algorithms for optimizing the concurrent application of the two types of Radio Frequency it can transmit multiple energies at lower frequencies synonymously to reduce the side effects and increase the efficacy of treatment compared to the other RF devoices in the market.

Mabel pro is typically used to treat skin laxity and sagging, usually of the face and neck but also elsewhere on the body. It also has good potential to treat cellulite and perform body sculpting. 

Zapping Fat With Ultrasound

If I divide my patients into categories; around 50-60% come to see me to loose weight and contour their bodies. Diet and exercise are the two focus subjects we talk about during our body contouring consults. We all know it often takes more than a healthy lifestyle to give your body the shape you want.

Some of the technologies I have been using successfully in my practice include: Liposuction, Radio frequency( Accent XL, Mabel Pro), Mesotherapy, Low Level Laser and vaccum massage (Triactiv). Recently we have added a new and exciting Ultrasound Technology (Luvitra Twin) at our Al Tababah Clinics to zap away those unwanted lumps of fat.

Ultrasound body contouring is now a clinically proven body contouring solution to combine totally non-invasive with durable measurable results. The treatment, involves focused ultrasound waves that target that "impossible to diet away" fat found on the hips, thighs, arms, and stomach. There is no incision, each session lasts about 40 minutes to an hour, and patients can go right back to work after a treatment. We get clinically demonstrated fat thickness and circumference reduction.  The lysed fat cells (adipocytes) are removed via the body’s natural physiological and metabolic pathways. Average circumference reduction ranges between 10-15 centimeters with each session. Multiple treatments deliver incremental circumference reduction. Most patients need three or four treatments.

During the session there may be slight tingling, but patients don't find this to be painful. There is some ringing of ears; which can be a bit annoying but easily tolerated.

How Does Ultrasound FatBlaster Work?

The UltraSound treatment uses scientifically proven focused ultrasound energy that selectively targets fat cells in the chosen body area and disrupts them without harming surrounding tissues such as nerves and blood vessels. During the UltraSound treatment, the membranes of the fat cells are disrupted. The fat cell content, primarily comprised of triglycerides, is dispersed into the fluid between the cells and then transported through the vascular and lymphatic systems to the liver. The liver makes no distinction between fat coming from the ultrasound blasted fat and the fat originating from consumed food. Both are processed via the body’s natural mechanisms.

The procedure is not for people who want to get rid of a lot of excess body fat. Instead, it is for those who have isolated areas of extra fat that are not helped by diet and exercise.

Brow Lift

I usually write about topics which pop up frequently at my busy practice at Al Tababa  Clinics. Today we are going to analyze what options do we girls have for improving frames of our eyes as we age ; Eyebrows !

Lets analyze, with aging, gravity causes the eyebrows (brow) to move downwards.  We compensate for this by contracting the muscle (frontalis), which raises the eyebrows.  Contraction of this muscle causes wrinkle lines across the forehead.  Eventually the muscle relaxes and the eyebrows become lower.  This typically makes you look slightly sad and tired.  It can also increase the fold on the upper eyelid making it difficult to apply makeup.

Brow lift treatments are aimed at elevating the eyebrows.  This widens the eyes and makes you look less tired.  After surgery people are often asked if they have been on holiday as they look refreshed.  The effects are subtle and most people will not be able to pinpoint the exact change in you but will notice that you look fresher.

The eyebrow in females should be gently arched with its’ highest point lying 2/3rds of the way out from the centre.  In men the eyebrows are usually flatter and raising them is not usually appropriate as this can make them look slightly surprised.

In the past, the only satisfactory way to perform Brow lifts was with a surgery operation.  This procedure is normally carried out by keyhole surgery.  Small incisions are made within the hairline and the tissue is gently separated allowing the eyebrows to rise.  Most people recover quickly from the procedure and are back at work within 10 days.

Chemical Brow Lift

More recently, however, medical aesthetic injection techniques have been used to lift the eyebrows.  Selectively weakening the muscles which pull down the eyebrows (using Botulinum Toxin) will result in them rising.  The muscles which pull down the inner part of the eyebrows cause frowning in the centre of the forehead.  The muscles which pull down the outer part of the eyebrows cause the crows-feet smile lines which occur on the temple on the side of the eye.

Unlike surgery, injections to weaken these muscles can be performed as a quick and easy outpatient procedure. Many people have the treatment during work breaks or at the end of the day.  The effects are not immediate with most people noticing a gradual decrease in the frown and crows feet wrinkles a week following treatment.  This effect last between 4-6 months and will need to be repeated.  Usually after a 3 treatments in a year the muscles relax more permanently and the effect last for longer and longer.

Non Surgical Thread Lift

Botox or chemical lift of the eyebrow is dependent on the strength of your (frontalis) muscle, if the muscle is not very strong and the forhead skin is drooping you might not be the right candidate for chemical brow lift. The thread lift is an exciting new non surgical approach to brow or face lifting and represents a significant advance in minimally invasive facial rejuvenation. A lunchtime procedure, the thread lift uses plastic non absorbable, bio-compatible threads to lift and support sagging skin. The threads used in this type of lift are lined with numerous small directional fibers; which are able to fix onto the soft tissues underneath the skin. Once the threads are inserted the sagging tissue is lifted the fibers anchor the soft tissue in the corrected position. Over a number of months, new collagen formation around the threads strengthens the support.

Accordingly, the threads are able to lift and support a drooping eyebrow. The thread lift is a very safe procedure as the threads are made of bio-compatible material and their safety has been established over the years as permanent sutures. Unlike face lift surgery results are natural and there are no scars. It’s a simple walk-in walk-out procedure which takes 30 min.s or so to perform. Recovery is quick and you can get back to work in 2-3 days. Studies demonstrate that the threads stimulate collagen formation around them and results are long lasting. Unlike surgical lift this procedure can be reversed if requested.

It is important to remember that everybody’s face is different and the consultation process is important to assess which treatment is most suitable for your patient.  This should ideally start with a skin analysis and discussion of the treatments available.